Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller, a Catholic write-at-home mother of four from Long Island, shares poetry and prose about the family life and other topics of interest.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

Every once in a while there comes along a book that
I feel absolutely must be shared with as many young people as possible. Odette’s
Secrets, a young adult historical novel, lovingly and painstakingly crafted by Maryann Macdonald, is one of
those rarities. It tells the story of the
Holocaust, a dark period that must never be forgotten, through the eyes of a
child.

Told entirely in blank verse in the voice of a young
Jewish girl, the book is filled with black and white photographs from the
Meyers family album. The story begins
as Odette is beginning to realize that things for Jews are changing in Paris. Life becomes defined by hiding, secrecy, and
loss. The Meyers family is not
religious, so Odette struggles with understanding what it meant to be a
Jew. To keep her safe, Odette’s mother
sends her to the French countryside to attend a convent school, with
instructions to blend in as a Catholic orphan.

Odette’s new life is much better, with room to play
freely without food rationing and the fear of soldiers. She is filled with confusion about her
identity, as she is living out the lie that was designed to protect her. She feels drawn to the Holy Family of Baby Jesus,
the Virgin Mary, and Joseph, and finds comfort in the nativity scene. She misses her mother, but never wants to go
back to Paris.

Odette’s mother joins her when Paris becomes too
dangerous for her to continue her secret work.
She does not blend in as well as her daughter has, however, and when the
children become suspicious Odette is chased down and beaten up. Although a friend and protector is able to convince
the country folk of the family’s story so they can continue living there in
peace, Odette is never able to trust her friends again.

When the war ends, Odette and her mother return to
Paris, where Odette must confront the reality of the suffering that the Jews
have endured. Only then can she finally
come to terms with who she is as a girl and a Jew. She is reunited with her father, now a prison
camp survivor, who brings her the gift of a diary in which to write her story.

Maryann Macdonald has written more than twenty-five
books for children. While living in
Paris, she discovered Doors to Madam Marie, the autobiography of Odette Meyers,
who grew up to be a poet and university professor. She became fascinated by Meyers’ story and
personally visited the places where she had lived and played as a child. Meyers passed away in 2002, survived by her
son Daniel, who provided Macdonald with additional materials and permission to
write his mother’s story for children.

This is a story that will draw young readers in and
keep them turning the pages. It tells
the sorrowful truth in a sensitive way that is age-appropriate, yet never
condescending. Young people and their
parents can benefit from reading this book concurrently.